Shocked filled Louise's heart, his words slowly sunk in, but she refused to entertain it.
"Are you crazy?"
The engagement was a hassle for both of them, and Louise, naturally, wanted to end it. But when confronted with his words, the desire to cut the engagement went away.
A hand squeezed her heart, suffocating her. She couldn't fathom what was happening to her; her emotions remained unclear.
Her breathing turned shallow and faster, her body tense.
"Do you think it's that easy?" she asked in a small but hard voice. "Have you thought about our parents? Have you thought about the impact on our family's cooperation and businesses?"
"Louise…" Axel sighed, shaking his head while staring at her. "We can't really be together. Are you willing to sacrifice your whole life for the family? Your happiness?"
"Why the hell are you talking about this now, Axel? We've been engaged for so long, and now you want to cut our connection?" Louise blurted out, screaming.
In her heart, panic surged. Is he really serious?
Alex gazed at her, his eyes probing. "Why are you talking like this? You also want to end this engagement, right? I know you wanted for this farce to end."
Louise stuttered, "I—I…" His statement left her brainless, and the words refused to form.
"We always fight, and you're always in trouble. Do you know how hard it is to adjust to accommodate your antics? Right now, I'm with someone important to me, and you butt in just like that."
"It's that woman?" Louise murmured, staring at her feet. What the hell is happening to me?
Her heart cracked like a shattered mirror, and her world crumbled away. Tears threatened to fall from Louise' eyes, so she bit her lips until it almost bled.
A woman.
Another lady who he treated as special.
The pain stifled her as the hard truth poked into her heart: it could never be her.
"Let's set the date to tell our parents," Alex said seriously, while they parked on the side of the road.
Louise's mouth remained shut, refusing to answer. Thoughts and feelings ran wild in her head.
All this time, I loved him? Louise asked herself. The idea just popped out of nowhere, taking root in her heart and mind. All this while, I seek his attention because I want him to look at me. The need is so strong, it's driving me insane.
"Oh…" Louise murmured, composing herself. She vowed that this truth would be her most well-kept secret until the day she died.
After closing her eyes for a minute or two, Louise looked up and stared straight into his eyes.
"I want to meet that woman." She raised her chin. "It's okay, right? At least I need to see what type of woman captured your heart, Axel. Is she that different from me?"
"Your worlds apart," Axel replied, staring into her eyes as if he was searching her soul for the secrets she hid inside.
"Wow, I can't believe Axel Rossi has finally found his match." Louise grinned, shrugged her shoulders, acting nonchalant.
"Are you sure you want to meet her?" Axel didn't like it, and he unconsciously rubbed his chest. He felt uncomfortable bringing his current fiancé to meet his girlfriend.
Louise will probably surprise Miranda because of her character. She's always so graceful, and Louise is so brash. But, maybe, Louise can learn a thing or two.
"Yes, I want to meet her now!" Louise declared, clenching her hands at her sides. The sooner I meet her, the sooner I give up on my newfound feelings, right?
"Are you sure?"
"How many times do you have to ask me? It's as if you don't want me to meet her. Are you afraid I'm going to swallow her whole or teach her bad manners?" Louise laughed, sounding sarcastic.
"Don't worry, your baby will stay as elegant as you want her. I won't be able to influence a woman like her. I'm sure she's not ordinary to tame a man like you!"
"She didn't tame me!" Axel rebutted.
"What do you call yourself now? You're whipped, man," Louise said full of bitterness. Sadly, Axel didn't hear it. He was busy thinking.
"Well, she's partly the reason I want to break our engagement, but not everything," Axel admitted.
"I don't have to get off, right?" Louise asked, staring at the scorching sun outside. "It's so hot."
She changed the topic.
"I'll drop you home but you can't meet her today." Axel denied her request and said, "You can meet her next time. Rest when you get home. Where do I drop you?"
Louise turned silent. He's very protective of that woman!
She clenched her hands harder, and her nails dug into her palm.
"Okay, I'll meet her next time. You also don't have to drop me home, I'll grab a taxi."
Axel frowned, then he agreed when his phone vibrated again. "Don't get in trouble again."
After he said it, Louise jumped out of the car as if she couldn't wait to stay away from him. Then the car sped away. She gazed at the disappearing back view of the black car amidst the traffic.
Louise stood beside the road, staring into the distance as if she lost her soul. The sun scorched her white skin, making her face red like a tomato.
Louise' clothes were in disarray; the jacket a bit dirty and her pants dirtier with smudges on them. Louise closed her eyes while onlookers glanced at her with curiosity. She felt like crying her heart out, shouting in the middle of the road to let out her feelings.
Louise bit her lips. "It's too late, he found the woman of his dreams."
The realization came too late; she lost already. A man like him wouldn't say those things if what he felt for the woman wasn't real.
Slowly, she walked aimlessly along the bustling road. The pedestrians made way for her as if they were aware of what she was going through.
The lifeless Louise was only inches away from bumping into a pole, but her head landed on something soft and at the same time a bit hard. Louise jolted; her mind back to the present.
A white hand shielded her forehead from hitting the pole; she turned her head to the side, only to meet a broad chest covered by a black v-shirt.
Louise blinked, and she looked up. She stilled when her eyes met gray eyes so prominent they were like stormy clouds. Her eyes traced the outline of a prominent nose with a bit of a curve in the middle.
Then traveled to lips so red, they put a woman's lipstick to shame. Mouth agape, Louise stared at the unfamiliar man's face, star-struck.
Overall, his chiseled face was so handsome, he looked like a model that came out of the magazine. His sharp jaw could probably cut a fruit.
Louise swallowed her saliva and asked, "Do I know you?"
"You look lost, miss. Are you okay?" His eyes roamed all over her body. "The police didn't treat you well last night?"
"Police? Last night?" Louise frowned. "You're the man from last night?!" she exclaimed.
"We meet again, miss. Last night, I didn't get to introduce myself." The man showed off his pearly-white teeth, and Louise shut her mouth.
He put her to shame! Even her teeth weren't that white!
Then she harrumphed, crossing her arms. "Last night, you disappeared just like a puff of smoke!"
The man chuckled, and it made Louise shiver. Now she found out that a man's chuckle could be so lethal.
Maybe this was what my friends meant when they said they had an eargasm, she thought.
"I'm JC," he introduced himself, and raised his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Louise," she answered, smiling. Then an idea occurred to her. She hurriedly stepped away.
The man's left brow rose.
"Why are you here? Are you my stalker?!" Louise was careless. His handsome face made her defenseless. "How did you know I'm here?"
The man chortled and pointed behind her.
"What? You want me to look behind? I won't! You'll probably take advantage of me or something!" Louise shook her head like a rattle, and stepped further.
He laughed louder, and people turned their way, whispering. Ugh, his handsome face is on par with Axel, and women probably flocked around him!
JC stepped closer, and Louise's eyes widened.
"Stay back! I can fight!" Louise warned, but JC moved faster. His height gave him an absolute advantage. When she stepped away, he reached for her and grabbed her arms.
He turned her around to look behind her. Louise' eyes widened when she saw the mall behind her.
"Louise, are you the only one allowed to come to the mall?" JC whispered, grinning.
Embarrassment shot through Louise, and she prayed for a hole to open up and swallow her alive. Maybe an alien from outer space will appear and shine a light upon me, taking me away.
"Do you believe in serendipity?" JC moved her body, turning her to face him. Their faces were only a few inches away; his face was level to hers.
"Are you a fan of the film Serendipity?" Louise blurted out as she tried to make herself smaller to put distance between them. She couldn't think straight because of his proximity.
JC let her go and laughed, almost doubling over.
"No wonder…." JC smiled, his eyes sparkling, as if he found a gem. "No wonder…"